Individual zebrafish (Danio rerio) exhibit predictable behavioral responses to certain visual stimuli that are sufficient to explain the collective behavior of the animals—even in their larval stage. Genetic mutations associated with neurological disorders in humans alter these behavioral responses and, as a consequence, the group behavior of the larvae. These are the results of a study conducted by Konstanz neurobiologist Dr. Armin Bahl and his collaborators at Harvard University that was recently published in Science Advances. The research shows that genetic changes in individuals can not only alter the behavior of groups, but can also provide a methodological approach for testing existing models of collective behavior experimentally.
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Source: Phys.org